Sunday, August 29, 2010

accidents welcome

When you're living in a new place by yourself, you can't anticipate anything but the fact that you will make mistakes. You'll spend over your budget, you'll miss the exit for I-264, you'll sit in the wrong classroom on the first day of school for ten minutes.

I feel like through these little "whoopsies" I've made the past week or so I've been here, I've learned so much about myself. My perfectionistic tendencies have been crushed. I'm allowing myself to make mistakes. I've even welcomed them, and grown bold from them. So freeing.

For instance, this morning I decided to wake up at 7:30 a.m. to try to make it to First Presbyterian Church for their 9:30 a.m. service. I plugged the address into the navigation system on my phone (which I subscribed to for such a time as this). I diligently got ready and left the house at 9 a.m., plenty of time to make it to the service and shake hands with a few members.

Though, I got off the exit of I-264 and turned onto Atlantic Avenue, just like the GPS said, and was directed to a public parking lot.

So NOT church.

By this time, it was already 9:45 and all hope of making it to this, apparent, ghost church was lost. I decided to park my car and take a stroll down the boardwalk. I was frightfully out of place with my white capris and lime green shirt. Everyone who passed me seem to ask with their eyes, "Where'd you leave your swimsuit, sweetie?"

And as I was walking along with my Coach purse, my faithful companion in these times, I thought I heard the beginning chords of "Let God Arise."

Yes - it was! One of my favorite worship songs was being played right in Neptune Park. Hundreds of locals were gathered in their flip flops and beach chairs.

So, I didn't make it to church this morning. But, I did make it to a beach-side worship jam. And you know what? It was so much better than I had planned!

Let's all make some good accidents this week! What mistakes have you made recently that you've been thankful for?